Bouquet
by Chibi-Shibi
Summary: The story of how a bouquet breaks and makes a friendship, and something more


**Archery - Write about getting straight to the point on matters of the heart. (100 points)**

**TGS Nautical Challenge: Lily Evans and Narcissa Malfoy - S.S. Flora**

**TGS Through the Universe Challenge: Accretion — (feeling) anger**

**TGS Ollivander's Wand Shop: White River Monster spine: Write about Narcissa Malfoy.**

**TGS Curse and Hex Salad Challenge: Apricots- The Expulso curse**

**Word Count: 1006**

* * *

Narcissa stood in front of the door and took a deep breath before opening it and stepping into the dimly-lit room.

This would be the last night she would spend in her childhood bedroom as _Narcissa Black._ Come morning, she would be Lucius' wife, a Malfoy. She sat down primly on her chair and leaned back a little in thought.

This day had come far too soon in her opinion. She had known of it for years, of course, but it seemed so sudden, now.

As she was considering her position and the next day's planned events, something on the mantelpiece caught her eye. A vase stood there, filled with a familiar-looking bouquet of flowers. _White lilies and narcissuses. _She frowned in confusion. Those flowers had always meant something akin to a promise.

"Cissa?"

Narcissa turned her head at the sound to see Lily Evans standing in her bedroom.

"Lily. How did you-" she began, but she was cut off by her visitor.

"I charmed the flowers to alert me when you touched them, so I would know when you came into the room." Lily looked away sheepishly, with a small playful smile on her lips. Narcissa was still frowning. She was not surprised that Lily had managed to pull this off, given the latter's abilities with Charms. Nonetheless, she had an inkling as to why Lily was here, and it did not bode well. Leaving the effect of Lily's visit on her own feelings aside, there was always the possibility of Lily being caught, and that would be catastrophic.

"You should leave." Her voice was forcibly cold. She did not like the unexpected turn of events, and she did not want to reveal any hint of affection to Lily.

"I thought we should talk. We've been doing...this, for a while now, and it seems like the right time to bring things out into the open." Lily's tone had turned serious too, at Narcissa's words. Something made Narcissa's heart beat faster.

"It is most certainly not. It is the worst possible time for you to be doing this, Lily." Truth be told, Narcissa herself had wanted to stop the strange circling that Lily and she had been doing for so long, but had found herself surprisingly terrified at the prospect of something going wrong at her attempt. Her own fear had told her more than she needed to know, more than she had wanted to reveal of her own feelings to herself. _Narcissa Black did not fall in love with Muggleborns. Narcissa Black did not pine after love. Narcissa Black would follow the path laid out for her by pureblood society's rules._

"I'm sorry. I just never realised how quickly time flew by. But I had to tell you, Narcissa. I...I love you."

Narcissa stared at the other woman. A part of her had known this was coming, but hearing the words themselves felt a blow that rendered her breathless. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her confusion and sorrow began to morph away into anger, as sadness often does. It was anger at her own self, but she coerced it to be aimed at Lily.

"I don't care. What difference do you think such a confession will make to me now?" She sounded furious, but the question was not rhetorical. She wanted to know why Lily was doing this now. _Was it pity? Sympathy? Was it a cruel joke that the Gryffindor side of her was playing? Or was it real? Did Lily really know that this wedding was all a lie and she could never be in love with Lucius?_

"I thought you should know, Cissa. I know I should have said it before, but better late than never." Narcissa blinked away her tears. She wondered if the adage was right after all. Perhaps she would have been happier if Lily hadn't said it. Perhaps she would have found it easier to forget or push away everything that had happened between them.

"You've done nothing but make a difficult decision even harder, Lily. You should have stayed with James. He's the type of wizard you deserve. You two are Gryffindor's Golden Couple, after all." She sounded way more spiteful than she had intended, but maybe it was for the better. Lily would be better off if she thought that she was hated. It would be the crueller but easier way out.

"You know better than anyone that that is a lie," Lily was insistent. Narcissa could not understand why she was being so adamant in trying to change everything. This would never work. It couldn't, even if the both of them wanted it to.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I hate repeating myself, Lily. You should leave."

"What if I don't want to?" Narcissa gritted her teeth. She knew that if Lily stayed much longer, she would cave to the former's wishes, and the proud Slytherin in her would not tolerate that, and neither would the rest of her family. So she did the only thing she could.

"Then I will ensure you regret it." She tried very hard to ensure her voice did not shake, but she knew that Lily would be able to tell, either way.

"Cissa, please. You don't have to be like this." Lily was clasping and unclasping her hands in her anxious way now, and Narcissa's heart gave a painful twist. She raised her wand with shaking hands.

"Yes, I do. _Expulso!_"

The spell sent Lily flying against the wall of the room and onto the carpeted floor. She was clearly in pain as she sat back up and looked at her once-friend with tears in her eyes. Then, she took out her own wand and apparated away, wordlessly.

Narcissa stared at the blank wall, which now has a small crack in it, for a while. Her other hand was still clutching the little bouquet of flowers, as her knees buckled and she fell onto the floor, sobbing at the loss of something she could have had.


End file.
